Dan McDowell
McDowell (left) in 2014, dressed as a clown after a bet loss
Born
Dan McDowell

(1969-03-03) March 3, 1969
Cleveland, Ohio
Alma materOhio University
SpouseKathy McDowell
Children2 Daughters
Career
ShowThe Hang Zone
Station(s)1310 KTCK (AM)/96.7 KTCK-FM
Time slot12:00-3:00 PM
StyleSports Talk, Humor
CountryUnited States
Websitethehangzone.com

Dan McDowell is an American radio personality. Also known as "The Sports Fuhrer" and "Naughty Ben Franklin," McDowell co-hosted, until July 17, 2023, The Hang Zone with Jake “Kempanzee” Kemp on the sports radio station KTCK (AM)/KTCK-FM The Ticket in Dallas, Texas.[1][2]

Early life and education

McDowell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University.[1]

Career

McDowell started his radio broadcasting career in Ohio, doing play-by-play for WATH-AM 970 in Athens, Ohio. He was fired from the job due to a "Putting Down the Local Kids" segment.[3] He moved through to Zanesville, Cleveland, Youngstown, and Dayton, Ohio before making his way to Dallas.[3]

McDowell hosted a midday show in Youngstown, Ohio and eventually moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 1999 to join Bob Sturm and The Ticket, together, they began on BaD Radio that same year.[1]

In 2013, it was reported that McDowell and his co-host, Bob Sturm, would defect to rival station KRLD-FM after being offered a significantly larger contract. Ultimately McDowell stayed with The Ticket, citing the chemistry between hosts and damage that could be done to the station as his reasons for staying.[4]

On February 10, 2020, it was announced that Bob Sturm would be leaving Bad Radio to Join Corby Davidson for the afternoon drive show on KTCK. It was also announced that Jake Kemp - the previous producer of the show - would join Mcdowell hosting daily 12–3. [5]

On July 17, 2023 Dan and Jake resigned from KTCK due to a breakdown in contract negotiations.[6]

Controversies

Lee Corso Incident

McDowell has been part of many on air controversies at the Ticket, including in 2005, when American sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN Lee Corso was a guest on his show, and McDowell made an offhanded sexual joke about Corso that upset him, to which an argument ensued, and Corso called McDowell a 'big jerk."[7]

Adolf Hitler obsession

On several occasions, McDowell has expressed an obsession over Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.[8] McDowell will occasionally make offhanded jokes and remarks about Hitler.[9]

Homer call of the week

"Homer Call of the Week" is a segment, co-created in 2000 by McDowell and Bob Sturm, on BaD Radio, that occurs during the football season. "Homer Call"s success led to the creation of the recurring segment, BaD Radio Reports, in 2006 to provide comedic content during the NFL offseason.[10]

Every week, four recent over-the-top sports play-by-play broadcast moments from around the world are nominated for "Homer Call of the Week." They are played, and then the hosts and crew vote on one Homer Call that deserves to move on directly to Homer Call playoffs, and one that deserves to go to the Wildcard round. At the end of the season, the winners and wildcard candidates face off in a Homer Call playoff, until ultimately one Homer Call is deemed "Homer Call of the Year."[10][11]

Some broadcasters reject their homerism and resent BaD Radio for inclusion of their audio clips in the segment, requiring Ticket staff to ask for audio for a fake segment called "Great Play-by-Play of the Week".[10] Notably, George Dunham joined BaD Radio on-air and complained of his inclusion, noting he wasn't "screaming like a bunch of hyenas."[10]

Personal life

McDowell currently lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Southlake, Texas with his wife Kathy, and two daughters Eva (21–22) and Eden (19).[12]

Awards

McDowell and his colleagues at KTCK have been nominated for, and received several NAB Marconi Radio Awards[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "BaD Radio". The Ticket. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  2. ↑ "Bob and Dan". Bobanddan.com. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 BaD Radio - 15 for 15: BaD Radio Origins; http://media.usave.it/media/rec-oDqlrzuNlEywD9h29D9G.mp3 Archived 2016-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Horn, Barry (25 June 2013). "Despite generous offer from The Fan, Bob Sturm, Dan McDowell will remain at The Ticket". SportsDay DFW. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "1310 the Ticket announces Bob Sturm as replacement for Dallas radio legend Mike Rhyner". 10 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "Dan McDowell and Jake Kemp Exit the Ticket in Dallas | Barrett Media". 18 July 2023.
  7. ↑ Staff, NCB. "Lee Corso Flips Out On 1310 The Ticket Radio Show". NCB. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  8. ↑ "Beverly Deangelo on BaD Radio 3-3-16". The Unticket. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Dan and Donovan Open Mic in San Antonio". The Unticket. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 BaD Radio. "15 for 15: Homercall"; http://media.usave.it/media/rec-uKg85MiHKYhLU4gZb0yf.mp3 Archived 2016-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1071AAB31B419A3D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
  12. ↑ Sellers, Audrey (7 June 2016). "On Fatherhood". Southlake Style. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  13. ↑ Horn, Barry (27 October 2016). "DFW Sports Radio Ratings Revealed". Sports Day DFW. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
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